The Commission values transparency and places a strong emphasis on ensuring that its work is conducted openly and that the Congress, stakeholders, and the public have opportunities to engage with us throughout our work processes. MedPAC’s transparency practices span public meetings, publications, and engagement with the Congress, stakeholders, and external experts.
Transparency in public meetings
- The Commission conducts its work through seven public meetings each year. We take multiple steps to ensure transparency in our work processes and to ensure that our meetings are accessible and understandable to anyone interested in the Commission’s work.
- We share information about upcoming meetings at the beginning of each MedPAC meeting cycle by posting the meeting dates on our website. A list of MedPAC meeting schedules is available here.
- We publish the schedule and session descriptions for each upcoming public meeting in advance on our website to inform congressional staff, stakeholders, and members of the public about the Commission’s work. The schedule includes topics to be discussed and provides a description of each session.
- We send email notifications with information about upcoming meetings to individuals who have signed up to receive updates.
- We broadcast each public meeting via live webcast, which enhances accessibility, particularly for individuals and groups that may not have resources to travel to Washington, DC.
- We provide the staff presentations, including the Chair’s draft recommendations, during every public meeting through the webinar platform and after the meeting on our website; slides are also emailed upon request once the meeting begins.
- We post the transcript for each public meeting to our website within three business days.
- We solicit public comments at each public meeting, inviting stakeholders to submit written comments to commissioners and meet with MedPAC staff.
- We distribute all stakeholder comment letters submitted in response to public meetings to commissioners and post them on our website for public viewing.
- Beginning in April 2026, the Commission aims to provide opportunities for the public to attend public meetings both virtually and in-person.
Transparency in outreach
MedPAC staff conduct outreach with Congress and members of the public to explain the Commission’s planned work, our analytic findings and methods, and to receive feedback that helps maintain and improve the quality of the agency’s work. Through these interactions, MedPAC’s work benefits from diverse perspectives.
- We publish the Commission’s analytic agenda for the upcoming year each fall on our website. This gives visibility into the Commission’s planned work, and allows Congress, Medicare’s stakeholders, and members of the public an opportunity to provide feedback on the Commission’s research topics. The Commission’s most recently available annual agenda is available here.
- We frequently engage with stakeholders and other members of the public to gather information, receive feedback on our work, and explain our analyses and recommendations. These conversations are an important part of our process, they strengthen our work by bringing in diverse perspectives, unique sources of data, and ideas we may not have otherwise considered. MedPAC staff routinely meet with more than 100 stakeholder groups each year. We publish a list of stakeholder groups with whom we met as part of our annual budget request. The most recent list of stakeholder groups with whom MedPAC staff met is available here.
- We solicit experts to review and provide feedback on our work. When identifying experts to review draft report chapters, staff reach out to a wide range of individuals with relevant expertise and experience. Individuals who review our work are acknowledged in each of our reports.
- Our staff present analytic work at external conferences. We post these presentations on our website to broaden access to our research and analysis.
Transparency in publications
MedPAC is committed to providing equal and open access to the information and analysis it produces and to ensuring that its work is widely available to Congress and the public.
- We post all Commission publications to our website, including reports to the Congress, comment letters to CMS/HHS, congressional testimony, press releases, data books, payment basics, contractor reports, and formal Commission recommendations, and we send email notifications when we publish our major reports to individuals who have signed up to receive updates.
- We provide the underlying data to charts and other figures included in our reports to the Congress.
- The Chair and Executive Director of the Commission also testify before Congress as requested. Written testimony and responses to questions for the record are posted on our website.
Transparency with the Congress and other government agencies
MedPAC maintains transparent and proactive communication with congressional staff and federal agencies. These practices help ensure that congressional staff and other federal agencies are aware of the Commission’s work and have opportunities to provide feedback.
- In advance of each public meeting, MedPAC staff brief staff of the congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare, congressional leadership, and other government agencies. These briefings provide an opportunity to explain the Commission’s work, answer questions, and receive feedback.
- We invite staff of the congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare, congressional leadership, and other federal agencies including GAO, to review and comment on draft chapters and reports, ensuring broad opportunities for Congress to provide feedback on the Commission’s work.
